20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

632 MADHAVI KOLHATKARthe dīkṣā ritual interesting as THITE has noted:Though there are no difficulties in the understanding of the performanceof the dīkṣā, there are some difficulties in understanding the ritualsignificance of dīkṣā. (1972:163)Naturally this has attracted attention of various scholars and they havetried to find out the significance of the rite together with the etymology ofthe word.The significance of the saumikī dīkṣāTHITE (1972:166) has concluded that the “significances […] accordingto the Brāhmaṇas are a) ecstacy, b) divinization and c) generation […] Thesignificance of the dīkṣā as generating the sacrificer has a further shade.The sacrificer is not only born, but born as a Brāhmaṇa. At the time ofdeclaring that the sacrificer has been consecrated, even in the case of a nonbrahminsacrificer the word brāhmaṇa is to be used […]. The MS.III.6.9and KS.23.5 however prescribe the declaration without mentioning thesacrificer as a brāhmaṇa […] Thus the dīkṣā is for brāhmanisation and thisalso seems to be a significance of dīkṣā.”Now there arise two problems: 1) Why is it that the sacrificer isconsidered to be reborn as a brāhmaṇa, if he already is a brāhmaṇa?and 2) Why is it that the word brāhmaṇa is to be used for a non-brahminsacrifice?The Aitareya Brāhmaṇa regarding the saumikī dīkṣāThe Aitareya Brāhmaṇa (AitBr) might be of some help in thisconnection. Regarding dīkṣā there is some peculiar description in theAitBr, especially in its chapters 34 to 39. It does not occur anywhere elsein the whole Vedic literature and is very noteworthy and important in thepresent context as it might throw light on the present problem. It occurs inrātrīs tisraḥṁ jātaṁ draṣṭum abhisaṁyanti devāḥ // – “The teacher, taking (him) in charge(upa-nī), makes the Vedic student an embryo within; he bears him in his belly three nights;The gods gather unto him to see him when born.” (WHITNEY). The word dvija ‘twiceborn’for the initiated one occurs in the verse: stutā mayā varadā vedamāta pra codayantāṁpāvamānī dvijānām/ āyuḥṇam prajām paśūn kīrtiṁ draviṇam brahmavarcasam / mahyaṁdattvā vrajata brahmalokam // AV 19.71.1. The difference, however, is that the student isreborn and is considered dvija ‘twice born’, whereas, in the case of dīkṣita he is an embryoand leaves that stage at the time of the concluding bath. Regarding the significance ofrebirth in the upanayana see also ELIADE 1958: 53 ff.